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Feb. 3, 1931. E. c. POTTER V PACKING OR SHIPPING BOX Filed Au 10, 1927 2Sheets-Sheet 1 5 2 J J 7 M j J J w w j fl j ,J I n 0 y i v W y w av. Z zz J j m J a a x o 2 5% Z W Q f v a v #7 J J V 1 w WM/,

a m T G I M Z.

Feb. 3, 1931. E. c. PoTTEk 1,790,676

PACKING OR SHIPPINQ BOX Filed Aug. 10, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 harzz Earl0.2 0

Patented eb, 3, .1931

UNITED STATES-PATENT former;

EARL G. ZPOT'IEE, OI CHICAGO, mom, .ABSIGNOB, BY HFSNE nssmmnms, TO-con- T AINER COBPOBATIOPT AIEBICA, OI CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A QOBPOBATIONOI DELAWARE meme on. smrme Box Application ar August-10, 1927. serial1104 11591.

My invention relates to pac or ship- 'ping boxes and has to do particarly with water-proof paper-board boxes adapted for the packing,shipping and of goods I such as meats, fruits, and-the It is customaryto ship goods of this character in closed containers under refrigeratedconditions to warehouses or other stora e places. Before such goods arereceived in t e l warehouses, and at times during shipment,

they are usually subjected to'inspection during which it is requiredthat the containers be opened and again closed in substantially the samemanner as originally for the pro or preservation of'the goods. A greatnum r of such containers may be shipped at a time as in a refrigeratorcar, and during such shipment, and also durin storage, they may-- bestacked one upon the ot er. It is desirable 39 that these containers beso formed that they may be readily moved, opened and closed duringinspection to insure proper closing ofthe containers at all times with aminimum of delay in shipment and final storage. Containers customarilfyemployed for the shipment of goods 0 this character are not adapted tothis end and much unnecessary time and handling is required inconnection with inspection of the employed have been of such characterthat tools and additional materials (such as binding strips, adhesivematerial or nails, etc.,) must be employed in opening and closing thesame during the inspection thereof.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide a simple inexpensive,strong, durable and which has a continuous-walled cavity same.-Furthermore, containers formerly of the box, or softening of thematerial thereof, or other in'urious effects.

A further 0 ject is to provide a box of this character which may bereadily ventilated adapted to contain and retain liquids therein and'toprevent passage of liquids thereinto, the side and end wal s of the boxbeing integrally joined by folding sections to acoom- I phsh this andwhich serves to additionally stren hen the box walls. 1

' Sti 1 another object is to provide the box with I an integral coverpart which carries locking devices engageable with flexible lockingdevices on one of the box walls and which is supported and strengthenedin its closedposition in such a way that the boxes maybe readily stacked'without injury or distortion.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent as this descriptionprogresses and by references to the drawings wherein Figure'l is a planview-of a blank from which a box embodying my invention is formed;

Fig. 2 is a perspective View of the box, partially set up from the blankof Fig. 1,- and showing the manner of folding the end parts of the box.i

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the'box with the cover in its closed'andlocked position.-

Fig. 4 is an enlarged view of a portion of one of the walls of the boxand a portion of the cover showing the cover fastening devices 'in coverlocking position.

ig. 5 is a section taken on line 5- -5 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a plan view ofone end of a modified form of blank from which abox embodying my invention may be formed.

'Referringto the drawings, the blank (Fig. 9 1) which I, preferably,employ is formed of cardboard or other heavy paperboard material whichis'waterproofed in any desired manner to render the same impervious'tomoisture. This waterproofing may be accomplished by subjecting thepaper-board surfaces to a wax or paraflin treatment or by giving thesame an asphalt covering.-

In forming the box, embodying my invention from the blank of Fig, 1, theblank is blank is creaseif first cut to the shape shown, the entireblank surface formin' one integral piece. The long fold lines to form aclosing operations may be accomplished without tools and additionalmaterial whereby bottom 10, side walls 11 and 12 and end walls packing,inspection, shipment and storage are 13 and 14, eachof such walls beingconnecteEF greatly facilitated. To accomplish the foreto the bottom bythe respective fold lines 11', 12', 13' and 14'. Each end wall 14, atits opposite side, is connected to an L-shaped end piece 15 along thefold line 15' and these end pieces are also connectedto the adjacentendsof the respective side walls along the creased fold lines Each ofthe end pieces 15 are creased dialgonall as at 17 to form a fold linewhereby these en pieces may be, preferably,

collapsed inwardly on the line 17 to a triangular-like shape andfoldeda'gainst the respective end walls as clearly shown in Fig. 2.

However, it is to be understood that these end pieces 15 may be foldedinwardly against the adjacent side walls; or they may be collapsedoutwardly and then folded back against either the adjacent end or sidewalls without departing from my invention.

. The side wall11 is connected along the fold line 18 to a cover 19which, in turn, is connected to a fastening flap 20 along the fold line20'. i The side wall 12 and each of the end walls 13 and 14, areprovided with projecting flaps 21, 22 and 23 connected thereto along therespective fold lines 21, 22 and 23'. These flaps serve to support andreinforce the cover in its closed position so'that it will not readilybecome distorted or injured during shipment and when the boxes arestacked one upon the other.

To set up the box as shown in Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive, the side and endwalls 11, 12, 13 and 14 may be first folded upwardly from the bot tomwall about the creased lines 11, 12, 13' and 14, at which time the endpieces 15 are collapsed inwardly about the fold lines 17 as illustratedin Fig. 2. The end pieces 15 are folded back against the inner face ofthe end walls in the manner and to theposition illustrated in Fig. 2,and are secured in this posi tion by any suitable fastening means,prefer-- ably, by. the staples 24. In addition to forming a closedwater-tight cavity, these end pieces serve tostren'gthen the end wallsof the box and the box as a whole and boxes of this character may bestacked without injury or distortion. The extension flaps 21, '22, and

23 on the side and endwalls are folded'inwardly about their respectivefold lines to a horizontal position. The fastening flap 20 of the cover'19 is folded at. right angles to the cover to a position for securingthe cover in place when it is desired. to close the box as willbe-described more fully hereafter. 7

One of the important features of my invention is the provision of meansforsecurely going, l employ a plurality referably, but

not necessar ly, three) of flexi le metal latch members 25, eachattached to the fastening surface of the wall by the sharp clinchedprojections 27 struck therefrom. The distance between the projections 27at the'opposite ends of these strlps is slightly greater than the widthof the latches 25 so as to readily permit the latches 25 to passtherebetween (Fig. 4). 'To close and securely fasten the,

cover to the box, it is folded about the fold line 18 with the, flap 20extending down from the side wall 12 and the latches 25 are forcedbetween the-strips 27 and the outer-surface of 7 the wall 12. "Thestrips 27 are sufliciently flexible to spring outwardly the desiredextent to permit these latches with the projecting 'lips 26 to freelypass therebetween. As the lips 26 pass beneath the lower edge of theiecting lip 26 for a purpose to be described strips 27, the latches 25spring outwardly and the-cover is securely locked in place. The

latches can be readily and quickly disengaged and the cover opened byapplying pressure to the bottom thereof to disengage the lips 26 and byapplying upward pressure to the same. With the shipp ng and storing of'certain commodities, such as meats, it is desirable that a the box'beventilated. This is readily taken care of by the provision ofventilating openings 28 at the desired hei ht'in the side or end wallsof the box. The 4 eight to which the box cavity will hold and excludeliquids is obviously determined by the height of the ventilatingopenings, when they are used, and by the extent'to which the outercorners of the end pieces 15 are cut away.

InFi .6 I have shown a modified form of blank w erein the end pieces15*, corresponding to the end pieces 15 of Fig. 1, are cut away on y toa very slight extent and no ventilating openings are provided so thatthe box will have a water-tight cavity substantially throughout itsheight. Otherwise, the blank of Fig.6 is the same as that of.Fig. 1.

Although I have shown and described only two embodiments of myinvention, it is to be understood that various changes may be madetherein without departing from the spirit and scope'of my invention asdefined in the claims which follow.

1. In a paper board packing or shipping box of a character comprising aplurality of walls, one of which walls is a cover hinged to another ofsaid walls; metal latching devices mounted on said cover, and metallatching devices on an adjacent one of said walls, said latter devicesbeing adapted to be engaged by said first-mentioned devices and securelyinterlocked therewith by and upon the swinging movement of one edge ofsaid cover toward said adjacent wall, said devices being so constructedand arranged that in so interlocking the same the said latter devicesand their supporting wall surfaces yield together in opposite directionsto receive said first-mentioned devices, and the interlocking may becarried out without individual manual manipulation.

2. A packing or shipping box comprising a bottom, side, and end wallshinged to said bottom, end pieces each having one edge hinged throughoutto the end of a side wall and another side hinged throughout to an edgeof the adjacent end wall, said end pieces being creased diagonally tocollapse upon one of said walls, a cover hinged to one side wall, flapshinged to the other of said side walls and said end walls and adapted toextend horizontally inward of the box, a flap on said cover extending atsubstantially right angle thereto, separate latching means mounted onsaid cover flap adjacent the central and end portions of the box, andflexible means on said other side wall adapted to be yieldably engagedseparately by each said latching means for locking said cover in closedposition, as said cover is moved to its closed position.

3. Cover fastening means for a paperboard packing or shipping box havinga plurality of side walls, a cover and a cover flap, which comprises aplurality of substantially spaced metal latch members carried by saidflap. each member having an outwardly extending rigid projecting lip,resilient, fiat metal retaining members mounted transversely to saidlatch members and attached at their ends flat upon one of said sidewalls so as to provide a free spring-like mid-portion, said metal latchmembers being adapted to pass between said retaining members and theirsupporting side wall surface when said cover is moved to its closedposition, whereby said lips spring said retaining member outwardly andthe adjacent paper-board surface inwardly to permit passage of the latchmembers past said retaining members, adapted to flex when said lips havepasse beyond said retaining members so that said lips overhang saidretaining members to prevent separation of the latch member therefromand to hold the cover in its closed position. 4

4,. The combination with a paperboard box having bottom, side and endwalls, and a.

cover hinged to one of said side walls; of a thin metal latch stripsecured at one end to said cover and having at its other end a small,outwardly-extending projection, a thin flexible metal strip secured tothe side wall opposite the one supporting said cover, said latter stripbeing fastened at its ends only fiat upon its supporting wall, both saidpaperboard side wall material and side wall strip being yieldable topermit said cover latch strip to expand them when itsprojection-carrying end is inserted therebetween to pass said projectionbeneath said side wall strip to engage under it and self-latch saidcover thereto.

5. In a paper packing or shipping box, side walls, a cover hinged to oneside wall and having a substantially right-angled flap, a thin, flatmetal fastener on said flap having a snap projection on its outer face,a thin flat metal strip mounted on the side wall opposite that carryinsaid cover in such a manner that said strip provides with its attachingwall a normally closed yieldable-walled space through which said metalfastener and projection are adapted to be forced to snap said projectionbeneath the lower edge of said metal strip to self-secure the cover inits closed position.

6. Cover fastening means for a paperboard shipping box which hasaplurality of walls, which comprises a thin, flat snaplatching membermounted on one of said walls; a flat, resilient retaining member mountedflat upon another of said walls which is adjacent said one wall, saidretaining member and its supporting aper-board wall surface beingadapted to e yieldingly engaged by said snap-latching member, and saidsnaplatching member having means for securely interlocking saidsnap-latching member and retaining member together by the movement ofsaid walls together to securely hold said walls fastened together.

In testimony whereof, I have my name.

subscribed EARL C. POTTER,

